Ink Drawings
Exhibition catalog documenting George Condo's monumental ink drawings created over a six-month period in 2013-2014, marking a significant new direction in his practice. Published for Condo's solo exhibition at Skarstedt Gallery London (February 11–April 5, 2014), this catalog features full-plate images, details, and foldouts revealing the artist's exploration of "the extreme possibilities of ink on paper." Working with transparent color layers, Condo positioned his signature distorted figures within abstract spaces, drawing conceptual inspiration from color field painting techniques while maintaining his distinctive psychological intensity.
Born in 1957, George Condo pioneered "Psychological Cubism," his groundbreaking approach that departs from classical Cubism by representing multiple emotional and psychological states simultaneously within single figures rather than multiple spatial perspectives. Emerging from the 1980s East Village art scene alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, Condo developed his signature "Artificial Realism"—a synthesis of Old Master painting techniques with American pop sensibility and cartoon aesthetics. His distorted figures with bulbous faces, skewed limbs, and protruding eyes authentically represent the emotional complexity and psychological contradictions of modern life.
This body of ink drawings demonstrates Condo's continued investigation into the relationship between abstraction and figuration. The monumental scale of these works on paper—many approaching the size of paintings—allowed Condo to explore layered transparency and color interaction in ways distinct from his oil paintings. By positioning figures within abstract color fields, he created a dialogue between gestural abstraction and his psychological portraiture, expanding his vocabulary while remaining true to his exploration of "the disjointed human psyche."
The 64-page catalog, illustrated in color throughout with details and foldouts, provides intimate access to this exceptional series. Condo's work is held in major museum collections including MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Corcoran Gallery, and The Broad. Published by Skarstedt Gallery in an edition of limited availability.
